Mar 17, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis looks on during the First Four Practice at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

UNC’s Portal Gamble: Basketball vs. Football

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Corey Davis | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 8:00 AM ET

In 2025, the transfer portal didn’t just reshape North Carolina athletics; it practically rewrote the rosters. Both men’s basketball and football entered the fall with teams that look almost nothing like last year’s, but basketball leans on a few key names that will paint a clear picture, at least compared to the football team, of expectation and hope.

Football's Roster Reset

Bill Belichick wasted no time putting his stamp on Tar Heel football. In his first offseason, UNC added 41 transfers and nearly 30 high school recruits, flipping multiple position groups. The goal was fast retooling and to build a roster that can win now rather than wait.

That kind of overhaul can yield instant impact, but chemistry and cohesion take time, and early losses to TCU and UCF show how rough the ride might be before things settle. Football’s gamble is about scaling quickly across 100+ roster spots.

Basketball's High-Leverage Moves

Rather than Belichick’s mass reset, UNC basketball focused its portal strategy on a few targeted impact players, notably Jarin Stevenson, Kyan Evans, and Jonathan Powell.

Stevenson transferred from Alabama. A former Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina, he adds size (6′11″) and rim presence to a UNC front court deliberately strengthened up this offseason.
Evans comes from Colorado State, where he showed his scoring capabilities and efficient guard.
Powell arrives from West Virginia and offers perimeter shooting. Last year he knocked down 64 threes, spacing the floor in multiple lineups.

These three don’t just fill spots; they were picked to shift identity. UNC wants more size, more shooting, and more positional flexibility, and these transfers speak directly to those needs. Rather than overwhelming the roster, the basketball program is layering in talent that complements its existing pieces.

Two Approaches

Football’s approach is a full reboot to match Belichick’s vision. Basketball is more intentional, weaving new threads into a returning core of several players.

If UNC’s football rebuild shows flashes too inconsistent, the volume gamble could backfire. If the basketball transfers don’t absorb into systems quickly, the hopes pinned on Stevenson, Evans, and Powell may feel like cosmetic fixes.

In both programs, 2025-26 is less about stability and more about promise. The portal isn’t a complete life hack, but it’s where UNC will try to rebrand itself. In football, through sheer scale, in basketball, through calculated pieces. And for fans, the question is simple: which bet pays off first?

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This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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